1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a radiant burner fueled by a gaseous fuel-oxidant mixture. Specifically, the invention is a radiator element composed of a metal foam for use within a radiant burner.
2. Description of Related Art
Radiant burners are commonly employed for a variety of purposes including heating, drying, and decontamination in such industries as paper manufacture, textile processing, and food preparation.
A typical burner is composed of an inlet attached to a plenum with a radiator element attached to the front of the burner. A baffle and diffuser are provided within the plenum in some embodiments so to optimize the flow of a fuel-oxidant mixture onto the radiator element. Burner efficiency is improved when a majority of the fuel-oxidant mixture combusts within the radiator element.
Ceramic-based radiator elements composed of porous, perforated, honeycomb, and fibrous structures are disclosed in the related arts. Ceramic radiators are heat resistant thereby resistant to heat related fatigue and damage. Furthermore, such radiators effectively communicate thermal energy to surrounding objects. However, ceramic radiators are brittle, easily damaged during handling, and susceptible to flashback induced damage.
Metal-based radiator elements are disclosed within the arts, however limited to screens, nettings, woven and knitted yarns, woven fibers, and mechanically-drilled plates. Screens, nettings, yarns, and fibers are structurally weak and susceptible to deflection and warp when heated to an elevated temperature for a sustained period. Screens, nettings, yarns, fibers, and drilled plates frustrate the combustion of a gaseous fuel-oxidant mixture within the radiator element thereby reducing burner efficiency. Consequently, metal radiators lack the robustness required to resist fatigue and damage and/or fail to efficiently generate and radiate thermal energy.
What is currently required is a robust radiator element that is both mechanically and structurally robust, facilitates the efficient combustion of a gaseous fuel-oxidant mixture, and facilitates the efficient radiation of thermal energy.